The present invention relates to automatic landing of aircraft with the help of a special-purpose electrooptical sensor.
Landing of aircraft in general, and of RPV in particular, is the most difficult step in the operation of aircraft. It requires highly-skilled operators, involves non-negligible risk, and can be performed only in favorable flight conditions.
Currently the RPVs are landed by human operators that either observe it from the land strip or monitor the picture transmitted by a TV camera mounted on board. The guidance commands are radio transmitted to the RPV. Both methods pose considerable difficulties since the pilot is put into unfavorable conditions compared to the operation of ordinary aircraft and receives only incomplete information. In particular, the pilot's perception of the RPV position is limited, he lacks some motion cues, is less percipient of sudden disturbances, etc. The ability to land the RPV in adverse conditions such as bad weather, limited visibility, or at night is severely limited.
Landing of manned aircraft on small airstrips such as aircraft carriers present similar difficulties. The landing platform is very small compared to the typical ground landing strip, so that very accurate guidance to the touch down point is required. The pilot lacks a stationary reference like the horizon or some terrain features; strong wind disturbances are often encountered; the landing process is very short and demands very quick response of the pilot to correct the flight path deviations; and in rough seas the landing platform is moving in six degrees of freedom with considerable amplitude.